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Playlist: Summer Lovin’

Summer is practically here! It’s time for sun, sitting by the pool, and lazing on the beach. It’s also a time for summer romance. Sometimes you go out of town or somewhere new and someone catches your eye. You either date for the season or you just want some fun for a night. These things can be complicated full of regrets or long lasting feelings. Other times you don’t think twice about it and ready to move on. No matter what your feelings are on the situation, musicans have been there. These songs are about fleeting romances, sexy one nighters, and even some regrets. Check out these songs about summer love. And in case you missed it check out last month’s playlist on the best remixes.

“Summer Love” – Justin Timberlake

Everything about this song from JT’s second album is made for summer: it has a killer beat, an irresistible rhythm, and an unforgettable hook. But let’s not forget the lyrics where Timberlake thinks he’s falling in love and hopes this fling will go beyond the summer. It’s an anthem for those who have met someone and wanted there to be something more, but knew deep down it would be over as soon as fall hit. Whether you can relate to the singer or you just dig the catchy track, this is one to add to your summer playlist.

“Summer Hair = Forever Young” – The Academy Is…

Ah, this one takes me back to high school. Though this song may not exclusively about summer flings, the lyrics can still be applied to the situation. Frontman William Beckett sings about partying and chasing “summer girls” and falling for one in particular. He then goes on to say he wants the moment to last forever and never wanting to let his mate go. It could be real love, but there’s a better chance that it’s naive optimism and wanting to make a fleeting moment last. Whatever it’s about, it’s still upbeat and catchy enough to put on for those throwback summer parties.

“This Summer” – Maroon 5

Some summer flings are good, others are damning. This is one of those it’s so bad, but so fucking good situations. Everyone’s favorite hot douche bag Adam Levine sings about the latest hot girl of the week and how he wants to get with her. At the same time he realizes she’s not that smart, she only cares about “fancy things,” and may even have a drug habit. He knows he needs to stay away from her, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want her body. It’s one of those toxic relationships; you know you need to leave the person alone but something about them keeps bringing you back. And if TV and movies taught me anything it’s that most fling are of this nature. You wanna hook up with the bad boy, the naughty girl, the person that lives on the edge because sometimes danger is damn sexy.

“Little Red Corvette” – Prince

There’s no doubt that Prince was the master of sex. Most of his catalog is filled with songs about doing the deed, including this one. But here Prince talks about someone who is used to “makin’ out once/love and leave em fast.” It’s another one of those toxic relationships: Prince knows this person isn’t looking for anything serious and even mentions having “a pocket full of horses” and some of them were used. For once the singer seems apprehensive about the act as he tells the person they’re going too fast. So, if it’s about a one night stand why is the song named after a car? The song was inspired by a time Prince fell asleep in band member Lisa Coleman’s Mercury Montclair Marauder. And you thought he was singing about a car this entire time.

“Fuck and Run” – Liz Phair

Guys aren’t the only ones that can dish about one night stands. On this track from Phair’s critically acclaimed Exile in Guyville, the singer starts this track waking up in a place she doesn’t recognize. She then laments how she didn’t want this to happen again and how she wants a boyfriend. Eventually some comes to the conclusion she’ll spend another year alone because she can’t seem to escape from the fuck and run cycle. It’s a simple, straightforward song about the awkwardness of one night stands. Instead of being shy and coy about, she dives right in. She may have some regrets, but she doesn’t judge her behavior as smutty. It’s just one of those situations she’s tired of finding herself in.

“Tired of Sex” – Weezer

Not being tied down sounds like a ideal situation for some, but Rivers Cuomo doesn’t find any pleasure in it as he laments about it in this song. He starts by singing “I’m tired of sex” followed by an exhaustive list of girls he’s been bouncing between. Cuomo sounds bored and fed up with having so many flings and wonders why he can’t “be making love come true?” It’s a great alternative rock song showing how even sex can be too much of a good thing. It’s kind of funny in a self-deprecating kind of way.

“One Night Stand” – The Pipettes

There always seems to be unwanted consequences when a one night stand is involved as British indie group The Pipettes explain in this song. Rather than trying to fool themselves into thinking it’s something more, the girls know the night of passion is nothing but a fling. They spend the brief song telling some poor sap they don’t love them and telling them to realize it was just a one night thing. It’s a brief, upbeat poppy song that’s in the style of doo wop groups of the 50’s. It’s blunt, straight to the point, and pretty quick kind of like a one night stand.

“I Just Want Something to Do” – The Ramones

Even punks get lonely as this song shows. This track starts out with the legendary punks eating chicken and being bored, looking for anything to kill the time. What better way to make the time pass than some casual sex? Joey Ramone doesn’t try to hide what he’s after. He makes it clear he wants to be with someone just for the night so he doesn’t have to spend it all by himself. The video even features fans and groupies throwing themselves at Joey’s feet. And that’s pretty much it. Like their other songs it’s punchy, catchy, and simple punk rock.

“Get Lucky” – Daft Punk

Hope you’re not sick of this song. The Daft Punk track practically took over music when it was released in 2013 for good reason: it’s so damn funky. The music is infectious and Pharrell’s slick vocals about staying up all not to “get lucky” are catchy and memorable. Though the singer has stated the song doesn’t only refer to the act of sex, that’s the first thing you think of especially with the hook proclaiming “we’re up all night to get lucky.” Unlike most of the songs on the playlist, this one doesn’t think about the morning after or trying to make a fling last. Instead it focuses on having a good time and enjoying the moment. It’s hard not to loose yourself if you’re knocking boots to this song, though that would be a little weird.

“Wicked Games” – The Weeknd

The Weeknd isn’t shy when it comes to talking about love, sex, and drugs in his songs. For his debut single he addresses all three. This seductive track finds the singer healing a bad break up with drugs and causal sex. He says he wants to hear someone say “I love you” for just one night. And he’s not fooling himself since he says he knows it’s not true. He just wants something to give him a little confidence and to make the pain go away. For a song that’s about having a fling with someone to get over a break up, the music sounds sexy as hell as if it’s made to get busy to. But then again that can describe most of his music.

“I’m a Loner Dottie, a Rebel” – The Get Up Kids

This song is about that awkward moment when you have to sneak out from your one night tryst. There’s no intense drama, long lasting feelings, or even passion here. Instead, it’s about a guy leaving before the other person wakes up and maybe calling them on the way home. He wants to make an exit to make it clear the relationship doesn’t go beyond one night. It seems even the Get Up Kids know summer is a prime time for one night stands as they reference it in the line “one summer night’s the only time we’ve know.” It’s kind of a melancholy song, which you would expect from rock/emo band like The Get Up Kids.

“One Night Stand” – Janis Joplin

Sometimes there are no feelings tired whatsoever to a fling. That’s how Janis Joplin comes off in this cheeky song. There’s no question what this song is about. Joplin talks about arriving in another faceless town and finding someone to cure her loneliness. She makes her intentions clear with the first line of the chorus “Don’t you know that you’re nothin’ more than a one night stand?” But unlike most songs here, Joplin isn’t thinking about the consequences or the next morning. She wants nothing but a one night stand and if you don’t feel the same, well it’s time to get packin.’ Joplin just wants a good time, if she has any regrets or doubts, she can think about them tomorrow.

“Our Last Summer” – ABBA

The playlist ends with a song not necessarily about a one night stand, but a fleeting summer romance. Swedish dance giants ABBA sing about traveling to Paris and finding love. Of course, as these relationships tend to go, things don’t last. It’s time to go home and a long distance relationship doesn’t seem possible. So you say goodbye to your summer love and what little time you spent together. It may have felt like forever, but it wasn’t meant to be. So, when you’re out on the beach and you think you’ve found that special someone, keep this song in mind and try not to get too entangled with your summer love. Or have a good time and save regrets for another time.

Which one of these summer love songs is your favorite? What would your Summer Lovin’ playlist look like? There are a ton of songs about one night stands out there, so which ones did I miss? Let me know in the comments.